


from your lips

by ThisJoyAndI



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: After 4x05, F/M, Stiles is the third cipher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 22:59:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2001240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisJoyAndI/pseuds/ThisJoyAndI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(she drew the hallelujah)<br/>Lydia discovers the third cipher and is utterly confused by it. 'The letters are a name, albeit one she has never heard before. It holds no meaning to her, does not cause a pang in her heart like hearing 'Allison' and figuring out Meredith's code was 'Aiden' had.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	from your lips

The third cipher comes to her remarkably easier than the others. She is lying in bed, absent-mindedly flicking through her biology textbook and wondering if she should try to to sleep, when the black text on the page in front of her muddles, with only a few letters remaining defined to her eyes. At first she thinks she has strained her eyes, or that she is over-tired, but when five minutes pass and she can still only see the jumble of letters she pulls her laptop closer to her and types the letters into a search engine, praying that they will actually mean something.

And they do. The letters are a name, albeit one she has never heard before.

It holds no meaning to her, does not cause a harsh pain in her heart like hearing 'Allison' and figuring out Meredith's code was 'Aiden' had. She furrows her brow at her laptop screen, inhaling sharply. It's a Polish name, quite difficult to pronounce by the looks of it, but it means nothing to her and she is more frustrated than ever. She had thought the third cipher would be Jackson, or even Danny, would be the name of anyone who ever meant anything to her who is gone from her life now. She had even thought it would be one of her parents' names, and had watched her mother closely during the night to make sure she would not leave her like so many had before.

She'd thought the cipher would have been Stiles and had dreaded what that could mean. 

But this name means nothing to her, and she shoves the laptop away in annoyance, burrowing down into her bed and desperately hoping for some sleep.

\---

She tries to forget the name the next day at school, tries to concentrate on the algebraic equations in front of her and the drone of the teacher's voice. Surely it can't be the real cipher. The name has an easy enough English comparison, but she doesn't know anyone with that name either. It has to be a figment of her imagination. 

But try as she might to forget the name, to plead ignorance and go about her life as best she can, Scott is insistent once she lets drop that she might have figured out the third cipher that she tries it, right there and then seated in the cafeteria. Surrounded by laughing kids, who are blissfully unaware that something terrible is occurring in Beacon Hills, she knows the cipher will not work but complies anyway. 

She sighs reluctantly as she digs the laptop out of her bag, easing it open. They all huddle around her as she clicks open the file, watching as the string of nonsense fills the screen. Rolling her eyes and swallowing the urge to bat them away from her, their breath hot on her back, she taps the code in and presses enter, knowing it won't work, knowing that it is just a name, not the last, desperately needed, cipher. 

She expels a tired breath just as the nonsense on the screen begins to change, begins to form letters that actually make sense, actually mean something, and her eyes widen.

Scott whoops behind her, snatching a fry in triumph, as they finally have the third piece to the puzzle. Glancing at the list, she notes that there is no 'Malia Hale' to be seen and pursues her lips as Malia crows in delight. Sure, celebrate her name not being on the list when the rest of them, Stiles excluded, face probable death. She shouldn't feel so harshly towards Malia, knows the girl is doing the very best she can to try and fit back into a human life, but sometimes she manages to rub Lydia just the wrong way and she cannot help but think of how much better it was when Malia was not around.

She plasters a fake grin on her face as Scott mumbles something about texting Derek and meeting up at Deaton's clinic later that afternoon to go over the now-complete list, closing her laptop and lifting her eyes.

Stiles is looking directly at her, hazel eyes unblinking. She almost turns away, almost drops her gaze, for it has been so long since Stiles looked at her like she was the entire world that she'd forgotten how wonderful it feels. She forces herself to meet his gaze, ignoring the rest of the group around her, barely noticing Kira wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tight.

Stiles looks directly at her and murmurs 'Ryszard', voice thick with emotion. 

And then she finally knows, finally _realises_ what the cipher means. She'd forgotten Stiles had a name other than 'Stiles', had become so used to yelling his nickname in fear or letting it escape her mouth in a fit of annoyance.

Allison, Aiden... _Ryszard._

It had been silly of her to think Jackson would be the third key, when her heart now flutters only when she thinks of Stiles - of his lips, of his numerous moles and of his terrible lacrosse skills. She smiles softly at Stiles, barely able to breathe and hopes he feels the same, hopes he stills thinks of her in the way he used to.

She shakes away the thought that perhaps now when she has realised how much Stiles means to her, he will be taken away from her just like everyone else - the world cannot be that cruel. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can blame Tumblr for this.


End file.
